In the very near future, DC is going to meet some visitors who only come around about every 17 years. I remember the last time I saw them. I was in in elementary school and my science teacher, Mrs. Semel, made it seem like the second coming of Albert Einstein.

They were loud, all over the place, and made it seem like I was in a poorly made 1950s science fiction film. I am, of course, talking about the emergence of the cicada, an insect that emerges from hibernation about every 17 years.

For readers who didn’t grow up on the Acela corridor (i.e., Northeast), you are in for some funny weeks. Once the ground turns a certain temperature, cicadas will begin to emerge from below. They will start making their presence known by their incredibly loud noise (think crickets on crack) and the shells they leave behind.

There will be no way to avoid this bother, so here are some helpful hints on how to make the cicada period a bit more enjoyable

Ignore their noise, create your own. When I say these guys are gonna be loud, I mean you light sleepers are going to have some restless nights. I feel the best way to fight this fire is with more fire. Throw a cicada theme party and just roll with it. Hopefully a few beverages will help with the sleeping.

Crunch crunch, avoid. Cicadas, after some time, shed their outer shell (or something like it, I’m not a scientist) and the ground gets littered with them. My best piece of advice is to avoid them. Yes, that crunch will be fun/weird the first time, but it will get old when your new kicks are covered in cicada goop.

Don’t be a hater. They are only here less than every two decades. If only other loud and annoying things came to DC this infrequently (cough Rolling Thunder cough).

If the sight of giant bugs creeps you out like this, then HEAD FOR THE HILLS! Otherwise, get ready and enjoy.

On Boston

My thoughts and prayers are with the city of Boston this week. Unimaginable, but if any city will remain strong and set an example, it is Boston.